What is Mental Ill Health?

We work to raise awareness of mental health and mental illness, and to create a better understanding of what mental health means.

Mental illness is much more common than most of us think. As many as one in four people in the United Kingdom will experience some kind of mental health problem each year. In Rhondda Cynon Taf, one in six people are experiencing mental ill health at any given time — that is over 40,000 people.

Despite this, severe mental illness remains largely hidden, masked by ignorance, prejudice and fear. Sixty-five percent of people with mental illness feel isolated and unsupported, having encountered some form of discrimination because of mental illness. This kind of discrimination is everywhere; in the street, the workplace and in the media. Through raising awareness about mental ill health, RCT hopes to reduce the levels of stigma and discrimination people living with mental ill health experience locally.

Anyone can experience the symptoms of a mental health problem, and for any number of reasons: from basic genetics to extremes of emotional stress. A symptom of mental illness can be thoughts or feelings that are difficult to deal with, or that prevent a person from getting on with life as usual.

Mental health problems affect our thoughts and feelings and change how we see the world. Some feelings associated with mental ill health are sadness, anxiety, hopelessness and low self esteem. These feelings, or disorders of thought, contribute to a compromise of mental well-being, and consequently the ability to carry on with normal life is inhibited.

When these feelings become more intense, occur over a long period of time, or affect the way a person normally lives, that a doctor may make a diagnosis of a ‘mental health problem’.

In most cases, such problems are only temporary, and recovery will be complete. In other cases, patients will suffer severe and enduring mental health problems, which may require long-term treatment.

Whatever the case may be, there is hope, and there is help, for people suffering from mental illness. Don’t despair; get help, and get your life back! Use this site to find the latest available information about mental health issues and see what mental health treatments and resources are available to the residents of Rhondda Cynon Taf.